Analytical modelling of microstructure changes in the machining of 304 stainless steel

Abstract

In the machining of hard machined materials, microstructure changes in the machined surface must be taken into account to improve product performance. Therefore, a large number of experimental and finite element method investigations have been carried out to investigate these microstructure changes. However, until now, only a few studies have reported the analytical modelling of microstructure changes. This paper presents a hardness-based analytical model that accounts for both mechanical and thermal effects in predicting microstructure changes during the machining of 304 stainless steel. The model was also validated for a range of cutting speeds, feed rates, and wear widths. The predicted results are in good agreement with the experimentally measured results. Thus, with the analytical model, an accurate prediction of microstructure changes is achieved, which reduces experimental expense and finite element method computational time.